PINEHURST, N.C. — Bryson DeChambeau is 18 holes away from the U.S. Open.
DeChambeau opened up a commanding lead during the third round at Pinehurst No. 2 on Saturday, shooting a 3-under 67 to get to 7-under-par for the week. He is three shots ahead of Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay and Matthieu Pavon, who are all 4-under-par.
It was a steely round for DeChambeau, who flirted with winning each of the first two majors this year but settled for tied-sixth and solo second at the Masters and PGA Championship. Now he’s in line for his second career major championship win — the first was the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
But like most things with DeChambeau, Saturday was not without its twists and turns. He’s apparently working through a right hip injury.
DeChambeau called for a physiotherapist as he was making the turn to the back nine and received treatments in between holes.
It had not to that point affected his play — DeChambeau hit his drive on No. 8 375 yards, parred the par-3 ninth and then made a birdie on No. 10 to rise to the solo lead at 6-under-par. He continued to build on the lead with a birdie on No. 14.
NBC drone cameras caught DeChambeau with the physio in the moods near the No. 11 hole, then DeChambeau drove the golf ball 359 yards.
The scene harkened back to Scottie Scheffler at March’s Players Championship when he dealt with a neck issue during a round and had to receive treatments for it during play.
DeChambeau began Saturday at 4 under, a stroke behind leader Ludvig Åberg, and tied with Cantlay and Thomas Detry. Three others — McIlroy, Pavon and Tony Finau — were at 3 under.
Pavon rose up to 6 under and the lead, only to stumble with a back-nine 37. McIlroy got to 6 under and then bogeyed Nos. 15 and 17. Cantlay shot an even-par 70 after going 1 under on the back nine.
Finau and Aberg suffered a shockingly similar fate — each triple-bogeyed the par-4 13th within moments of each other, their balls going from one side of the green to the other and effectively ending their U.S. Open hopes.
DeChambeau led by four shots through 15 holes. But he double bogeyed the difficult par-4 16th, bringing his lead to two shots. DeChambeau responded with a clutch birdie on the par-3 17th and a tap-in par on 18, giving him a three-shot cushion and the solo 54-hole lead.
This story will be updated.
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(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
